On August 30, GUCA staff members Scott Brumbelow and Megan Murren attended a committee meeting for Georgia Struck By Alliance (GSBA). For those of you who are unfamiliar with GSBA, the purpose of the effort is to reduce, mitigate, and eliminate work zone fatalities, and to raise cognizance of the dangers in work zones. Specifically, roadway work zones where risks and dangers are greatest to both workers and motorists. The alliance is a collaborative effort with many organizations including GUCA, Georgia Power, Associated General Contractors, OSHA, 3M Protective Apparel and Footwear Market Center, and the Georgia DOT, just to name a few. One of the biggest topics of the meeting was, what is the greatest threat to people in the work zone? Is it workers who are either uneducated about safety practices, or unwilling to follow safety practices; or is the greatest danger, and the cause of the majority of fatalities, distracted motorists? The committee talked at length specifically about young drivers who present a unique danger because their inexperience is often mixed with distracted driving; whether it is texting, playing with the I-pod, or just trying to manage teenage hormones! With such a dangerous problem, the committee brainstormed about solutions. As many of you with teenagers know, driver’s education has been widely eliminated from high school curriculums. One committee member commented that although the DMV administers a driving test; it is only sufficient to test knowledge of the driving rules and not necessarily care and skill. The same member suggested that GSBA initiate some sort of “Incident-Free Day.” The initiative would go something like this; GSBA would pick an arbitrary date, for example May 7, 2012. That day would be designated as “Incident Free Day in Atlanta.” The purpose of the day is to raise awareness about the dangers of work zones to both workers and motorists, all while trying to accomplish an incident-free, meaning no work zone injuries or fatalities, day in the metro-Atlanta area. If Atlanta can go one day incident free, then the hope is that it can go a string of consecutive days with out a work zone-related incidents. However, hype leading up to the Incident Free Day is a crucial aspect as they hype raises awareness. So GUCA wants to know, do you think Atlanta can do it? Can motorists stop texting and driving in order to protect our workers? On a smaller scale, could you make your morning commute tomorrow without sending one text or checking one email while driving (it’s illegal, you know)? For you on the jobsite, can you go one whole day with your workers doing everything by the book; wearing safety vests, following proper flagging techniques and observing other OSHA standards? Or, is there a better way to raise awareness and to educate both motorists and workers about work zone safety? Let us know your thoughts!
Raising Awareness About Work Zone Safety: Georgia Struck By Alliance
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